318 Mr Connell on the Action of 



after the commencement of the action and some white matter 

 collected by degrees at the bottom of the tube, which proved to 

 be carbonate of potash. The gas was found to be pure hydrogen. 

 The reddening of the solution was due to the formation of some 

 resinous matter, which is obtained when the liquid is afterwards 

 mixed with a little water, and concentrated by evaporation. 



Several circumstances tended to shew, at an early period of 

 these researches, that the true nature of this action consisted in 

 the decomposition of water contained in the alcohol, apparently 

 as a constituent where absolute alcohol was acted on ; the hydro- 

 gen being evolved at the negative pole, and the oxygen not ap- 

 pearing, from being employed in producing certain secondary 

 effects. I found that there were several ways in which gas might 

 be made to appear at the positive pole also. If alcohol consi- 

 derably diluted, as with an equal bulk of water, or a little more, 

 was acted on, a very feeble evolution of gas was observed from 

 the positive pole, but quite insignificant compared to that from 

 the negative. If the alcohol was stronger, as .835 or .840, and 

 the proportion of potash was a little increased, as for instance if 

 about T ~ potash was dissolved, then a slight effervescence ensued 

 from the positive pole ; and there was in general a greater ten- 

 dency to an evolution of gas, when platinum wires were used as 

 poles, than when foils were employed. A singular influence on the 

 result was also observed to be produced by the nature of the 

 vessel employed for containing the solution. Thus, if alcohol, 

 sp. gr. .830, with y ^ ¥ of potash dissolved, was acted on in a ves- 

 sel of glass or porcelain by platinum foil poles, it shewed, as 

 usual, the effervescence at the negative pole, and none from the 

 positive ; but if the experiment was performed in a vessel of pla- 

 tinum, a feeble stream of bubbles was seen to rise from the posi- 

 tive pole also, but trifling compared to the negative gas. The 

 same effect was produced by such other metallic vessels as I 

 tried, which were those of silver, lead, iron, and copper. A simi- 



